September 6 – 27, 2003 The Teahouse of the August Moon Reviewed September 7 Running time 2 hours 45 minutes

The theatrical structure of this 1953 play may not have aged gracefully but its message is still as relevant today as it was when it joined those other views of the World War II experience, South Pacific, in garnering a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Mister Roberts in winning the Tony Award for best play.  You can view it as a message play with a good number of laughs or as a comedy with something to say. Under Roland Gomez’ direction, it manages to deliver its message with only a few embarrassing minutes of preachyness and with quite a few laughs along the way. 

Storyline: A Captain in the American occupation forces on the island of Okinawa is assigned to introduce the people of the village of Tobiki to democracy and capitalism. What is he to do when confronted by the mismatch between his orders and the obvious will of the majority of the villagers? At first outsmarted by a smooth talking translator and hampered on every side by his own ignorance of the local culture, he learns lessons about the true value of cultural diversity and human dignity.

Brandon DeGroat is a delight as he takes center stage from the opening moment of the play through its final line in the role of the interpreter who explains a great deal to the “lovely ladies, kind gentlemen” of the audience and to the otherwise clueless American Army officers. His comic timing is very good and his contribution to most scenes is key to their success. Also very effective is Evie Abat in the opposite role, that of an Okinawan geisha who speaks not a word of English. With brief lines in the native language, a great deal of body language and a lovely choreographed dance sequence, she casts a spell that makes the American Captain’s attraction for her
touching rather than something exploitive. 

The best of the cast of American officers is Philip Baedecker as the totally self-absorbed commanding officer who wants nothing more than a promotion out of his tour on Okinawa. He blusters and bellows in fine form, while James Howard manages to make more out of the potentially cartoonish one-dimensional character of a Captain who goes native. Bob Scott overdoes a lot of the comic reactions of the central Army Officer role, that of the Captain assigned to the village who is manipulated by the translator and is attracted to the geisha, but as the play resolves itself, he is quite effective in the final actions of the Captain.

The play is probably not performed as often as it might otherwise be because of the size of the required cast. There are thirty people (and two goats) listed in the program.  Many are the people of the village and aren’t assigned individual characteristics or dialogue but it is still a fairly large crew to assemble. Here the Little Theatre of Alexandria does a service by bringing this play to the stage. The set design is substantial and effective, the lighting is very good, the sound design adds to the atmosphere and the most important costuming is well done but many of the villagers costumes seem to be bathrobes.  There is a line about bathrobes versus kimonos in the text, and the residents of a poor village in Okinawa could not be expected to be dressed like the “Gentlemen of Japan” of The Mikado, but they need not look like they are wearing modern bathrobes, either.

Written by John Patrick based on the novel by Verne Sneider. Directed by Roland Branford Gomez. Choreography by William Guey-Lee. Speech coaching by Fujio and Miyuki Uno. Design: John Downing and Bill Glickbarg (set) Chris Macey and Mary Galati (costumes) Sena Rich (make-up) Chris Macey (hair) Ken and Patti Crowley (lights) David Hale (sound) Don Petersen (stage manager). Cast: Evie Abat, Elen Aldridge, Philip Baedecker, Collin Brown, Ryan Brown, Rachael Budiansky, Chelsea Cook, Rosalia Cool, Brandon DeGroat, Reggie M. Eusebio, Mario Font, William Guey-Lee, Faye Higdon, Vicki Hill, Elizabeth Herbst, James Howard, Paula Hu-Pitzer, Robert Kraus, Roylee McCullough, Aimée Meher-Homji, Paul Morton, Carla Okouchi, Handry Phan, Christy Plunkett Foertsch, Sena Rich, Laura “Lola” Savatgy, James Senavitis, Bob Scott,  Paul Tamney, Fujio Uno, Miyuki Uno.